Vinay Prasad is a hematologist-oncologist and health policy researcher who served as a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. In May 2025, he was appointed director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the US FDA, where he oversees the regulation of vaccines, gene therapies, and blood products.[2][1] He left the position on July 29 or 30, 2025 after a short tenure to return to California and spend more time with his family.[2][1] His departure was linked to criticism of the FDA's handling of Sarepta Therapeutics' gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, where he proposed a suspension due to safety concerns.[1][2] On August 9, 2025, he returned to the position at the request of the FDA, after an absence of less than two weeks.[2][1] FDA Commissioner Marty Makary stated that Prasad wanted to avoid media attention.[2] Prasad is the author of Ending Medical Reversal (2015) and Malignant (2020).[2][3]